Eph 1:18-23
18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Just before World War II in the town of Itasca, Texas, a school fire took the lives of 263 children. There was scarcely a family in town that was not touched by this horrifying tragedy. After the war, the town built a new school, which featured what was called "the finest sprinkler system in the world." The town was very proud of their new school. Honour students were selected to guide citizens and visitors on tours of the new facility to show them the finest, most advanced sprinkler system technology. Never again would a fire disaster happen.
Many years later, the town made progress and grew. It was necessary to enlarge the school - and in adding the new wing, it was discovered that the sprinkler system had never been connected.
... Story told by Dr Howard Hendricks on 4 Mar 82 @ International Congress on Biblical Inerrancy in San Diego, California.
This is a parable of what has happened in so many Christian lives. There is untold power available for every believer in Christ, but so many never hook up. Are you lives powerless and weak? Are you connected?
God has revealed all the TRUTH we need. What is needed is to have our SPIRITUAL EYES opened to it.
Watchman Nee: "Knowledge is absolutely different from light. Those who have light surely have the knowledge, but those who have knowledge do not necessarily have light."
The Pharisees, scribes knew the Scriptures but they did not recognise Jesus standing before them.
They have knowledge, but still in darkness. We need the LIGHT.
1. TO STAY STRONG, PRAY TO BE ENLIGHTENED TO GOD’S PROMISES
Paul prays - that our EYES of our hearts be ENLIGHTENED - so that we may KNOW...
(1) the great HOPE we have...
(2) the RICHES of His glorious inheritance we have...
(2) verse 19 - the incomparably great POWER for us who believe.
There is enthusiasm in Paul’s words - look at all the power SYNONYMS - incomparable, power, mighty, strength, exerted, raise... far above all rule, authority, power, dominion, every title, now and forever...
Apparently, we eyes can be BLINDED to this fact.
· We can be living in hope but feeling quite hopeless
· We can be living in the riches of God’s provision, and feeling very poor
· We can be living in His power, yet feeling helpless most of the time.
It is not the lack of knowledge, but the lack of LIGHT. We just don’t SEE it.
We can have these problems even as Christians - to the church in Laodicea - Rev 3:17-18
But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Paul has to PRAY... that the eyes of our heart be enlightened.
Ask these questions: Are you living in hope, always hopeful in Christ? Do you feel blessed, because we are rich in Christ? Do you live with confidence because of the great power God has for us?
Are we very sure of these? Or are we struggling through life most of the time.
Paul prayed for the believers - he said, "the eyes of your hearts" - conviction, strong belief...
We must PRAY this same prayer... that God will help us see the light. In fact, the very act of PRAYING draws us to the LIGHT. You come to KNOW Him and His Word.
2. STAY STRONG, CLAIM THE PROMISES BECAUSE THE VICTORY IS FINAL
Look at this POWER that Paul took extra effort to explain to us: v.20 "which God exerted in Christ when He raised him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms" - the power that RAISED Jesus and ASCENDED Him to heaven.
If the cross is the highest display of God’s love, the RESURRECTION is the highest display of God’s power.
This power is PERMANENT & ETERNAL - different from the power that raised Lazarus. It was a different power than that of Elijah when he raised the dead boy in I Kings 17. They died again. It was temporary.
But when God raised Jesus - it was permanent! That life was eternal. The power that sustains that life is eternal. Paul says in 1 Cor 15:54-55 "Death has been swallowed up in victory." 55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
- Power against Sin, Death, Devil
This power is COMPREHENSIVE & PRE-EMINENT
Then he said, that same power "seated Jesus at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms..." (v.20)
He is enthroned in heaven. And the control He has is unsurpassed - v.21 "far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come."
- Angelic, Demonic, or Human powers...
Referring to His power over spiritual forces (esp. in Ephesus - worship of spirits, the same theme mentioned in Eph 6 about putting on the armour of God...) - Jesus is not just strong but FAR ABOVE them. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He reigns.
22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything...
We are not STRUGGLING to win. We’ve already WON.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: "The only fight which is lost is that which we give up."
A prison inmate scratched on the wall of his cell his philosophy of life: "Born to lose."
Christians believe that they were born to win.
Do you express that confidence? We serve a reigning King - nobody is above Him, and nothing is out of His control! AND HE IS HERE FOR YOU.
In the Austrian town of Waidhofen, there is an impressive clock tower with a clock that doesn’t run. The tower was built in 1542 to commemorate the successful repulsion of a Turkish invasion, and the clock has been stopped at 11.45am, the exact time of the victory.
For us, the cross is that sign. Whenever we look up, we see a sign of victory! It’s ours. We’re enjoying everything today because of that!
The power is FOR US – How do we experience it? PRAY! GET CONNECTED and then water will flow!
We are to fight this spiritual warfare with the power He has given us.
Look at Paul’s concluding remarks in Eph 6:10-13
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Eph 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
The same way Jesus called His disciples and "gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick." (Luke 9:1-2) - He has given us the same commission.
We’re going to put on the armour and fight - fight against evil, against the devil in all his deceptive ways in causing doubt, unbelief, complacency... The battle has already been won; we’re just claiming it.
Charles R. Swindoll: "Surrendering to despair is man’s favourite pastime. God offers a better plan, but it takes effort to grab it and faith to claim it."
3. TO STAY STRONG, EXERCISE FAITH IN GOD’S PROMISES
Refuse to doubt!
This same power is for us WHO BELIEVE (v.19). It is not for anybody else, but those who BELIEVE. The lost person will never experience victorious life. There is always a void in his life, which can only be filled by Jesus. Without Him, life is never at its best.
(1) to be enlightened - is to allowed the truth to ENTER our hearts
(2) to claim it - is to HOLD on to it; receive the seed with the good soil of our hearts
(3) to exercise faith - is the PROTECT the seed - no matter what storms we’re going through, I’m going to protect the seed - I’ve choose to believe the truth that God has revealed to me.
All the power we need can be found in CHRIST – don’t try to live in your own strength.
Many today live a discouraged, dry, defeated life – they are making futile attempts to make things work. This is a roller-coaster ride. Only in Christ can we experience permanent, victorious and a fulfilled life. We have to put our trust completely in Christ.
Our faith in God releases His divine power in our lives.
After the death of their brother Lazarus, Mary and Martha were in despair. All they saw were despair, death and decaying body. Jesus entered the scene and said (John 11:25-26):
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
It has nothing to do with the EXTERNAL... it has everything to do with Jesus. And the key is – DO YOU BELIEVE HIM?
Don’t focus on human efforts - Nothing man can do will change God’s ways. See Matt 27:62-66
62 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 "Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, `After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first."
65 "Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how." 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
In spite of all their human efforts, the Jewish leaders were unable to prevent Jesus from accomplishing what had already been determined and promised: "After three days I will rise again" (Matt 27:63).
NOTHING in the physical realm can hinder God and His ways. The power that was at work then, is the same power at work in YOUR LIFE AND MINE today. Can you imagine that?
And the Bible says "the incomparably great power for us who believe." If you deliberately choose to put your trust in a powerful God, you’ll experience the "working of His mighty strength" in life.
Our eyes need to be enlightened… and we need to SEE with eyes of FAITH.
Whatever is revealed through the Word to us, we believe it.
"We don’t interpret the Word through the lens of experience, but our experience through the lens of the Word."
Under attack and surrounded by Syrian army, Elisha saw with eyes of faith - He was able to see the whole host of horses and chariots of fire all around his house, protecting him. His servants saw nothing of this - except the enemies. And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
(2 Kings 6:17)
Bro/sis, we live by faith, not by sight.
Usually - We talked about how God can help us and then usually add, “But….”
Why don’t we turn it around? Look at the circumstances and then say, “But our God is great and good… He can help us!”
For the Christian, to trust is to triumph. Choose to believe what God has already revealed to us. We can believe that God has everything under control, that He knows what He is doing - and that is, for our good. Even when I don’t fully understand everything pain, every problem, every suffering... I choose to believe God is good (like Job) and is doing His great work, and all will make sense one day. I have to align my life with His Word, not the other way around.
CONCLUSION
When elderly Adele Gaboury turned up missing four years ago, concerned neighbours in Worcester, Massachusetts, informed the police. A brother told police she had gone into a nursing home. Satisfied with that information, Gaboury’s neighbours began watching her property.
Michael Crowley noticed her mail piling high. He notified the postal agency and the deliveries were stopped. Gaboury’s next-door neighbour, Eileen Dugan, started paying her grandson $10 twice a month to mow Gaboury’s lawn. Later Dugan’s son noticed Gaboury’s pipes had frozen, spilling water out the door. The utility company was called to shut off the water. What no one guessed was that while they’d been trying to help, Gaboury had been inside her home.
When police finally investigated the house as a health hazard, they were shocked to find her body. The Washington Post (10/27/93) reported that police believe Gaboury died of natural causes four years ago.
The respectable, external appearance of Gaboury’s house had hidden the reality of what was on the inside.
Something similar can happen to people: We may appear outwardly proper and alive while inward dead. All sorts of religious activity may be happening outside, while the real problem is missed - agony, doubt, disbelief... on the inside.
... Vialo Weis, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Leadership, Vol. 15, no. 3.
Romans 6:4 "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
Martin Luther once was so depressed over a prolonged period. One day his wife came downstairs wearing all black. Martin Luther said, "Who died?" She said, "God has."
He said, "God hasn’t died." To which she replied, "Well, live like it and act like it."
... Robert Russell, "Releasing Resentment," Preaching Today, Tape No. 136.
· Be strong – pray that God will constantly enlighten us through His Spirit about His promises
· Be strong – claim the promises for yourself. It’s for you and it’s true. Nothing can change His plan for you.
· Be strong – have faith in God despite what we see around us.
God’s plan for you is still on track and moving along in His good time.
